New Vikings Stadium News and Notes - January 17

Third time’s the charm. By the end of the day, we are scheduled to officially be up and running with all three stadium cameras – one live-streaming camera and two high-definition megapixel time-lapse cameras – to document the progress on the stadium project.Each camera will offer a unique perspective of the site from the north, south and west sides, enabling project teams to view activity remotely in real-time while documenting the entire process for time-lapse photography. You can check out the web cam here.

Metrodome Roof Deflation

While the MSFA and Mortenson have not provided a specific time for the fifth and final deflation of the Metrodome roof this Saturday, MSFA Chair Michele Kelm-Helgen said today that, pending weather issues, the roof will officially come down tomorrow. You can watch the deflation on the 24/7 live-streaming camera, and we’ll do our best to alert you before the process begins. Following the deflation, we will have both interior and exterior time-lapse videos available on vikings.com.

The Latest on Construction

Within Mortenson’s construction update at this morning’s MSFA Board meeting, we learned that 160,000 cubic yards of soil have been removed from the site thus far, which is roughly 20% of the excavation work necessary for the project. Seven drilled piers that the foundation will rest on have also been completed; however, more than 300 piers will be necessary so we’re only just beginning. Next week the first of five tower cranes that will range from 225-310 feet high will be erected and true demolition will begin with the stadium’s loading docks. In terms of boots on the ground, currently 75 construction workers are on site. That number will swell to 300 within the next couple months.

Equity Update

One of the major priorities of this project is to ensure the hiring of woman and minority subcontractors and on-site work workers. The Vikings and the MSFA adopted the City of Minneapolis equity goals of 20% (11% women-owned and 9% minority-owned) for the hiring of women and minority-owned businesses and 38% (32% minorities and 6% women) for on-site construction work force. In order to meet those aggressive goals, the stadium team has taken the following steps:

· Adopted a formal Equity Plan, which will guide all workforce and targeted business efforts. The plan can be reviewed at www.msfa.com.

· Hired a full-time Equity Director, Alex Tittle, to oversee the implementation of the Equity Plan and all compliance efforts.

· Contracted with an Employment Assistance Firm (EAF), Summit Academy OIC, to aid in the outreach, recruitment and training of a diverse workforce.

While it’s still very early, the goals are being exceeded for both aspects of the project. Currently 41% of the workforce on site is made up of minorities, while 11% are female. Of the $400 million of subcontracts that have already been awarded, $100 million has gone to women and minority-owned businesses (25%).

Vikings Preview Center Update

The Vikings plan to have the new stadium Preview Center ready to showcase by mid-February. Overlooking the construction site, this interactive space will allow fans an opportunity to see a model stadium and replica suites and to discuss pricing and products for the new Vikings stadium.

For all of the latest information on the new stadium, check out this updated Q&A. For future notifications, join the new stadium waiting list here.